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Subject: CDROMLAN FAQ for January/Februray 1995
Archive-name: cdromlan-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly (I'm trying!)
Last-modified: 1995/01/25
Frequently Asked Questions List for CDROMLAN@IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU
The FAQ is maintained by Greg Gibbs at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
This FAQ was originally compiled and maintained by
Steven Kirby of the University of Georgia.
I appreciate any and all suggestions for improving this FAQ.
Please email suggestions, additions, comments, corrections, etc.
(and include CDROMLAN-FAQ TIPS in the subject line) to:
angjg@orion.alaska.edu
Any changes from the previous edition will have an
asterisk immediately preceding the question number.
:Q00 What questions are included in this month's FAQ?
[NOTE: Q00-Q03 are in part one, Q04-Q08 are in part two
Q09-Q13 are in part three, and Q14-Q25 are in part four]
*Q01 Where can I get a copy of this FAQ?
Q02 How can I access the CDROMLAN archives?
*Q03 What solutions are available that allow me to network CD-ROM databases?
Q04 How can I contact someone who uses a particular CD networking solution?
*Q05 Where can I find reviews of CD networking solutions?
*Q06 Can you recommend a good CD-ROM drive?
Q07 What are some good publications about networks, computing, and CD-ROM?
Q08 What other newsgroups and discussion lists deal with networking/CD-ROMs?
*Q09 How can I connect Macintoshes to my CD-ROM LAN?
Q10 Can I provide remote access to my CD network via a modem and/or TCP/IP?
Q11 How can I connect my CD network to an IBM mainframe?
Q12 What do I need to set up a small (2-8 user), low cost CD network?
*Q13 What menu and usage tracking programs are available for my network?
Q14 What timeout programs are available for my network?
Q15 Who are some CD-ROM database producers and how can I contact them?
Q16 Are there any FTP sites that contain materials related to networking?
Q17 Do I have to run the Microsoft Extensions in order to network my CDs?
Q18 Where can I get a copy of the latest version of the MS Extensions?
Q19 Are there advantages to using Ethernet over Token Ring, or vice versa?
Q20 Can I connect a multidisc changer (like the Pioneer DRM-600) to my LAN?
Q21 How can I improve the performance of my CD network?
Q22 Do I need anti-virus software on my CD network?
Q23 What solutions are available to provide network printer support?
Q24 Where can I get training in network management techniques?
Q25 Is this the end of the FAQ?
*:Q01 Where can I get a copy of this FAQ?
A complete version of the FAQ for CDROMLAN@IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU
will be distributed the fifth working day of each month.
If you subscribe to the list, you will receive the update
as part of your regular list traffic.
* The FAQ is also available via mail-server, compliments of
Gess Shankar (gess@knex.mind.org). To order it from the
mail-server, send the following command to:
Mail-Server@knex.mind.org, leaving the subject blank.
SEND CDPUB/FAQ/CDROMLAN.FAQ
The FAQ is available via anonymous ftp at ftp.cdrom.com
in /pub/cdrom as cdromlan.faq. Thanks to Walnut Creek CDROM
and Bob Bruce (rab@cdrom.com) for this avenue of access
(sorry Bob, but I _had_ to put you in here so I couldn't
forget where to find you :-). Small plug:
Walnut Creek CDROM
1547 Palos Verdes, Suite 260
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
800-786-9907, 510-674-0783, 510-674-0821 fax
info@cdrom.com
Dan Lester, our favorite cyclopean listowner, has made the
FAQ accessible via WWW at http://cyclops.idbsu.edu and is
fairly easy to find once you get there.
Other avenues of access are always in the works. If you
have suggestions on where or how to make it available,
please let me know. I'm _still_ working on providing the
FAQ via Usenet. When I've got the system down, access
details for the Usenet archives will be provided.
A mini-FAQ is mailed to the list in the middle of each
month which contains all of the above information up to
and including this statement. (I promise I'll get better
organized on this part - g^2)
:Q02 How can I access the CDROMLAN archives?
I still have not had the chance to really play with this,
but the CDROMLAN listserv is indexed as a WAIS database.
This makes for convenient retrospective research on topics/
discussions touched on in our daily rantings in CDROMLANd.
The Amazing Steve Kirby sez that you can easily do this by
pointing your gopher client at munin.ub2.lu.se and making
the following selections:
"WAIS databases published at UB2"
"Library automation..."
"Archive of an e-conference about CD-ROM networking"
Technical info is as follows:
Headline: bit.listserv.cdromlan.src S:1000, L:22
(:source
:version 3
:ip-address "130.235.162.11"
:ip-name "munin.ub2.lu.se"
:tcp-port 210
:database-name "bit.listserv.cdromlan"
:cost 0.00
:cost-unit :free
:maintainer "anders@munin.ub2.lu.se"
:description "Server created with WAIS release 8 b5
on Aug 28 17:47:42 1992 by anders@munin.ub2.lu.se
[Thanks to Rob Joachim (rjoachim@mitre.org) and Steve Kirby
(kirby@rhett.libs.uga.edu) for lots of help with this one.
And a special thank you to Anders Ohlsson for maintaining
the WAIS index for the benefit of us all.]
*:Q03 What solutions are available that allow me to network CD-ROM databases?
CBIS CD Connection & CD Server
CBIS Inc.
5875 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Building 100, #170
Norcross, GA 30092
404/446-1332
CBIS sells both a hardware/software solution, as well as a
software only solution. The software is CBIS' CD Connection
program, which acts as a CD-ROM redirector. Once rated as one
the better CD networking solutions, CBIS has not fared quite
so well in recent benchmark tests.
CDDIRECT
LanShark!
6502 E. Main St.
Reynoldsburgh, OH 43068
614/866-5553
CDDIRECT is a solution for Banyan Vines networks. It allows
you to map CDROM drives like a network hard drive. There is
no memory overhead on the end user's station, since CDDIRECT
communicates in Vines native protocol VINES/IP. It does not
run on NETBIOS, which certainly ought to improve performance.
* CD Net
Meridian Data, Inc.
5615 Scotts Valley Dr.
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
408/438-3100; 800/767-2537 sales;
800/755-8324 support; 408/438-6816 fax
info@meridian-data.com; support@meridian-data.com
Meridian sells both a hardware/software solution, as well as a
software only solution. Meridian now offers a Netware Loadable
Module (NLM) version of its CD Net software. I haven't seen
any reports on its performance, but the previous version was
a very solid performer.
CD Share
Enterprise Software
225 Winter St, P.O. Box 163
Hopkinton, MA 01748-0163
508/435-4207, 508/435-6957 fax
CD Share is a software solution for providing access to CDROMs
on Banyan VINES networks. Every CD ROM volume is seen as a VINES
file volume, so they can be referenced by any VINES user.
Multiple CD Share servers are possible, and up to 24 titles on-line
can be kept at each server. License metering with a timeout option
is included. Automatic memory caching enhances performance.
Access to CD's is set up and controlled with normal VINES commands.
Network access requires no special setup on any user workstation,
no device drivers, no TSRs, no special utilities.
[Thanks to John K Metzger (jmetzger@world.std.com)]
CD-View
Ornetix
1249 Innsbruck Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
800/965-6650; 408/744-9095
This is touted by one user as an excellent solution for small
sites with even smaller budgets. It is described as easy to
to install and has the advantage to acting like a Novell Server
(in a limited capacity, I would assume), but at a reduces cost.
Thanks to David Jost (jost%acad1@dbu.edu) for this information.
CDworks
Virtual Microsystems
1825 South Grant Street, Ste. 700
San Mateo, CA 94402
Internet: virtual@netcom.com
800/722-8299
CDworks systems are configured according to the site requirements
of the customer and may use the DEC InfoServer 1000 or a
PC-based CD-ROM server. PC-based solutions provide networked PC
users with access to CD-ROMs; Mac's may be included if Netware/Mac
is being used. InfoServer-based systems provide DOS users with
ethernet access to DOS ISO-9660 or High Sierra CDs, Macintosh users
with access to their respective native CD's. Hybrid systems can be
configured consisting of CD-ROM and hard disc. Each hard disc can
hold the contents of at least 2 CD's.
CDworks systems are available turnkey, including installation of
hardware, software and the user's applications; a remote diagnostics
station; menuing, metering and statistical software; and one year of
toll-free support, software updates, and overnight hardware
replacement warranty. DEC on-site field service is available as an
option.
SLS (Information Systems) Ltd.
3/4 York Court
Upper York Street
Bristol BS2 8QF
UK
+44 272 423314
Internet: cdworks@sls.co.uk
SLS offers a full range of CDworks solutions as the European VAR
of Virtual Microsystems, including supply of CDworks and CDaccess
components and the full range of Virtual installation and support
facilities from their offices in Bristol, Stockholm and Madrid.
Some unique features of CDworks include upgrading InfoServers to
double their memory and cabinets with sled-mounded components
which can contain either CDs or hard disks. Also, the Virtual
solution can support simultaneous access across all network
protocols that it supports (Netware, LAN Manager, Pathworks, TCP/IP).
The CDaccess product allows users of dumb terminals, Macintoshs,
X-terminals and UNIX workstations to access DOS CDs via a dedicated
386 or 486 PC. They also provide a TELNET Gateway which offers
the services of a CDaccess gateway system to Internet users.
SLS information provided by Barney Haye (barney@supvax.sls.co.uk)
CorelSCSI
Corel Systems Corp.
1600 Carling Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Z 8R7
613/728-8200
(No email address that I know of, but they do maintain a Corel
forum on CompuServ that you can get to by typing GO COREL.)
Something of a hybrid between a Netware Loadable Module and a
CD-ROM redirector. Unlike SCSI Express, CorelSCSI still
requires the Microsoft Extensions. A reasonably priced,
mid-range performer.
Discport
Microtest, Inc.
4747 North 22nd St.
Phoneix, AZ 85016
800/526-9675; 602/952-6400; 602/952-6401 fax
I don't have a lot of information on this product, but I gather from
comments made on the list that it is similar in function to the
Digital Infoserver. There is at least one major, published
description of the Discport. Interested parties are referred to
Steve Bosak's article "The Netware CD-ROM Solution", 18 Byte 151
(December 1, 1993) for more information.
EZ-NET
FlexSys Corporation
24 Graf Road
Newburyport, MA 01950-
800/533-7756, 508/465-6060, 508/465-6633 fax
No scoop yet :-(
InfoServer
Digital Equipment Corporation
800/344-4825 = 800/DIGITAL
Internet: decsoc@bxb.mts.dec.com
According to the October 1993 Digital "Systems and Options
Catalog", Infoserver systems are network resources designed to
work in conjunction with SCSI storage devices in order to provide
information to LAN users. The InfoServer supports a variety of
SCSI devices, including CD-ROM drives, tape drives, and magnetic
discs. InfoServer systems serve information from devices to
different client platforms in the native file format of that
particular client. The latest version of the InfoServer--the
InfoServer 1000--is a 5.25 inch, half-height box which enables it
to reside with storage devices.
LANtastic
Artisoft
691 East River Road
Tuscon, AZ 85704
602/293-4000
One of the better MS-DOS based LAN packages. Includes built-
in CD-ROM support. As recently as 1990, PC Magazine rated
LANtastic to be one of the top CD networking solutions. It
probably would not be rated that highly today, but it still
has some potential use for smaller installations.
Logicraft
Logicraft
22 Cotton Road
Nashua, NH 03063
603/880-0300, 603/880-7229 fax
sales@logicraft.com; support_dept@logicraft.com
LanCD is a software product that provides the capability to
network CD-ROMs in a PC LAN environment. It is a redirector
solution that provides the following features and benefits:
a. Concurrent multi-protocol and multi-lan support. In short,
users from a Novell LAN utilizing IPX/SPX and users from
three other NetBIOS LANs can access a LanCD CD-SERVER
simultaneously.
b. FastCD -- A SCSI hard disk CACHE for CD's.
c. License metering -- LanCD provides local license metering
that can be configured by CD drive, by application, or by
physical location.
LS4300/4500/CD4000 --- The LS4300 and LS4500 are turnkey CD
server systems. Each system is configurable and can support
from 1 to 255 SCSI devices. The CD4000 is an expansion box
for additional drives and can be used with all of Logicraft's
servers and as expansion for other non-Logicraft products.
486Ware/OmniWare -- These products are Logicraft's line of
MS-DOS servers. By using these products any non-DOS desktop can
gain access to the world of CD-ROM's.
[Thanks to Chris Caggiula (ccaggiula@logicraft.com) for the
information on Logicraft products.]
* Windows NT
Microsoft
A number of folks have mentioned using Windows NT as a cdrom
server with good results. To quote a listmember: NT offers
graphical management resources, including management
from Windows, Windows for Workgroups, or Windows NT
stations. Any of these can manage server resources via
several network protocols (tcp/ip, ipx, netbeui) or over a modem.
Can have up to approx 21 cdrom drives connected to each server.
It's easy to set up and use, and has complete security mgmt.
Clients can run Windows for Workgroups and have simultaneous
access to Netware network and Microsoft network.
Downside? Requires lots of memory -- at least 20Mb per server.
Best if you have at least 486/33 to run server.
[Thanks to Michael Reynolds (reynolds@u.washington.edu)
whose message I mercilessly cribbed w/out permission 12/94]
Opti-Net
Online Computer Systems Inc.
20251 Century Blvd.
Germantown, MD 20874
800/922-9204; 301/428-3700
Another redirector solution. Opti-Net was one of the earliest
CD-ROM networking solutions. Recent versions should provide
acceptable performance, though it did not fare particularly
well in PC Magazine's 1991 benchmark tests. Available for
NetWare 3.11, as well as NetWare 2.X.
SCSI Express
Micro Design International
6985 University Blvd.
Winter Park, FL 32792
800/228-0891; 407/677-8333
info@microdes.com; support@microdes.com
suggest@microdes.com (suggestion box)
SCSI Express is available for a number of multi-user operating
systems (including Novell NetWare 3.11, and Microsoft LAN
Manager). SCSI Express for NetWare 3.11 is a Netware Loadable
Module (NLM), which means that it functions as an extension to
the NetWare operating system. Performance has generally been
rated as excellent.
Ultra*Net
R+R Messetechnik
Sandgasse 41
A-8010 Graz
Austria
+43 316 46 48 28; +43 316 46 48 28 20 fax
Ultra*Net provides network access to CDs using NetBIOS for
client/server communications so it is compatible with any
NOS offering a NetBIOS interface (Novell, TCP/IP, Pathworks,
PC/NFS, Lan Manager and more). Ultra*Net features: centralized
management of the CD library and client menuing system;
title and user statistics available either online or as
printed charts; pre-caching of CD-ROMs to hard disk.
An NT version of the Ultra*Net server offering 100%
Internet compatibility (making the CDs available for
searching across the 'Net - licenses permitting!) should
be shipping quite soon.
[Thanks to Geoff Baldwin (geoff.baldwin@eurokom.ie)
of Fenwood Systems Ltd. - UK agents for Ultra*Net]
* Unix solution (generic)
Also coming to the fore in providing access to CDs in the
network environment is the use of your favorite flavor of the
Unix OS on a beefy machine. On the PC-client side, PC-NFS
is used to remotely mount the cd-roms on the server. The
retrieval software is also accessed via NFS-mounts. One site
has built their own menuing software, but there's got to be some
commercially available front-ends as well. I know next to nothing
(okay, really nothing, since I'm summarizing and parroting this info),
so if anyone cares to re-write this I'm sure we'd all appreciate it.
[Thank you John Stroet (J.Stroet@UBU.RUU.NL) for brief insights
into this particular solution. 12/94]
:Q04 How can I contact someone who uses a particular CD networking solution?
For questions about CBIS' CD Connection, contact:
Arne Almquist, University of North Texas (aalmquis@library.unt.edu)
Dave Bloomberg, Florida Atlantic University (bloomber@acc.fau.edu)
NOTE: Dave is out of action at this point in time :-(
Hopefully he'll come back to CDROMLANd soon.
For questions about Meridian's CD Net solution, contact:
Jim Morgan, Indiana University Medical Center
(morganj@indyvax.iupui.edu)
Jennifer Walz, King's College Library (jlwalz@rs01.kings.edu)
For questions about Ornetix's CD-View, contact:
David Jost, Dallas Baptist University (jost%acad1@dbu.edu)
For questions about Digital's InfoServer, contact:
Margaret Sylvia, St. Mary's University (acadmarg@vax.stmarytx.edu)
Tim Kambitsch, Butler University (kambitsch@butler.edu)
For questions about networking CDs with Microsoft LAN Manager,
contact:
Nick Carter, Batelle Memorial Institute Pacific Northwest Labs
(ng_carter@pnl.gov)
For questions about Micro Design International's SCSI Express,
contact:
Steven Kirby, University of Georgia (kirby@rhett.libs.uga.edu)
Bill Kuntz, University of Florida (bill@library.health.ufl.edu)
Kerry Sanders, Iowa State University (lb$ksd.isumvs.iastate.edu)
Gerald Smith, Gunter AFB (gsmith@gunter-emh.af.mil)
*:Q05 Where can I find reviews of CD networking solutions?
* CD-ROM Professional, May/Jun 1994, Vol 7 No 3 pp 154-155.
Review of the book "CD-ROM Networking in Practice" ed. by
Caroline Moore and Nicky Whitsed, Marshall Breeding reviewer.
* Library Software Review, Spring 1994, Vol 13 No 1 pp 39-43.
"Installing a CD-ROM LAN using Novell NetWare and SCSI Express"
by Ting Zheng
* Infoworld, 1994 Feb 14, Vol 16 No 7 pp 5. "Fix on the way
for NetWare CD-ROM bug" by Shawn Willett
* InfoWorld, 1994 Feb 7, Vol 16 No 6 pp 101. "Opti-Net simplifies
access to network CD-ROMs" by Tom Marshall
* CD-ROM Professional, 1994 Jan, Vol 7 No 1 pp 55-57.
"Special considerations for networking multimedia CD-ROM titles"
by Janet L. Wolfe
* CD-ROM Professional, 1994 Jan, Vol 7 No 1 pp 46-54.
"Choosing a networking softwware product" by Janet L. Wolfe
* CD-ROM Professional, 1993 Sep, Vol 6 No 5 pp 170-173.
"Frequently asked questions list (FAQ) for
CDROMLAN@IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU Version 1.11" by Steven Kirby.
[This doesn't really answer the question and is now quite
out of date, but I couldn't resist including it :-) ]
* Computer Technology Review, 1993 Aug, Vol 13 No 9 pp 34-35.
"CD-ROMs board and storm the LAN" by Mark Ferelli
* InfoWorld, 1993 June 14, Vol 15 No 24 pp49.
"CD-ROMs and networks: Welcome to the software frontier"
by Paul Merenbloom
* Information Today, 1993 June, Vol 10 No 6 pp 25, 28.
"Virtual Microsystems unveils family of high performance
multi-processor CD-ROM servers" by Anonymous
Infoworld, 1993 June 7, Vol 15 No 23 pp 47. LAN Talk
by Paul Merenbloom (70743.3524@CompuServe.com)
"Which networked CD-ROM drive approach is right for you?",
* InfoWorld, 1993 May 24, Vol 15 No 21 pp 59.
"NetWare 4.0 adds its own momentum to the CD revolution"
by Paul Merenbloom
* InfoWorld, 1993 Mar 15, Vol 15 No 11 pp 69.
"Network CD Roms still need some tweaking to be useful"
by David Strom
LAN Times, 11 January 1993. "Prepare for the CD-ROM invasion :
volumes of new and existing information can be made easily
available by network users", pp. 89-91.
LAN Times, 11 January 1993. "Testing CD-ROM solutions for 'real
world' performance", pp. 91-101.
CD-ROM Professional, 1992 September, Vol 5 No 5 pp 83-94.
"Providing Access to CD-ROM Databases In A Campus Setting
Part II: Networking CD-ROMs Via A LAN," by Judy Koren
(judyk@lib.technion.ac.il or lbjudy@vinsa.technion.ac.il)
PC Magazine, 31 December 1991. "Networking CD-ROMs : the
power of shared access", pp. 333-363.
:Q06 Can you recommend a good CD-ROM drive?
You might want to have a look at the following articles:
(Hey, I work in a library - you'd think I'd get around
to filling in the blanks :-( I will by next issue!)
* InfoWorld, 1994 Jul 25, Vol 16 No 30 pp 116.
"4Plex shrinks size of quad CD-ROM drive"
by Ean Houts
* CD-ROM Professional, 1994 Jul/Aug, Vol 7 No 4 pp 47-49
"The new Hitachi double speed CD-ROM drives"
by Becky Lockwood Grossman
* InfoWorld, 1994 Jun 6, Vol 16 No 23 pp 117.
"Chinon tweaks double-speed CD-ROMs for top performance"
by Jeff Angus
Windows Magazine, 1994 July Vol and No unknown
title unknown, page unknown
!!! I could use help on this one as we don't subscribe and Windows Mag
is not in any of the periodical databases we carry. TIA - g^2
* Computing Canada, 1994 May 11, Vol 20 No 10 pp 42.
"Quad-speed drive are quick - Very quick"
by Gerry Blackwell
* CD-ROM Professional, 1994 May/Jun, Vol 7 No pp 118-123.
"NEC's MultiSpin 3Xe CD-ROM drive reviewed -
A sterling performer for all seasons" by Tom Benford
* InfoWorld, 1994 Mar 7, Vol 16 No 10 pp 109.
"NEC, Kinesoft point to the future of CD-ROM"
by Patrick Marshall
* CD-ROM Professional, 1994 Mar, Vol 7 No 2 pp 124-126.
"Pioneer DRM-604X: A six-disc minichanger CD-ROM drive -
When is it the best solution?" by Becky Lockwood Grossman
* PC Computing, Mar 1994 Vol 7 No 3 pp 148
"The new spin on CD-ROM" by Ron White
PC Magazine, Feb 22, 1994 (vol.13, no.4)
"CD-ROM drives: Going mainstream" pp. 110-?
* Journal of Services Marketing, 1994, Vol 8 No 1 pp 70-72.
"Backpack CD-ROM drive" by Dennis Pitta
PC World, May 1993. "CD-ROM Drives, The Time is Right",
pages 215-221.
PC Magazine, 22 December 1992. "CD-ROM drives : mass
appeal". Article begins on page 293
A good review of (Macintosh) CD-ROM drives is the following
article:
Rizzo, John "Passport to the Future": CD-ROM Drives".
MacUser 9, No.3 (March 1993), pp. 124-144.
You may also find it advantageous to contact one or more of the
following CD drive vendors for information before you make your
purchase:
CD Technology
766 San Aleso Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
408/752-8500, 408/752-8501 (fax)
Corel Systems
The Corel Bldg.
1600 Carling Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 8R7 Canada
613/728-8200, 613/761-9219 (fax)
Hitachi Home Electronics America
Multimedia Systems Div.
401 W. Artesia Blvd.
Compton, CA 90220
800/369-0422, 310/515-6223 (fax)
Liberty Systems
160 Saratoga Ave. #38
Santa Clara, CA 95051
408/983-1127, 408/243-2885 (fax)
Micro Design International
6985 University Blvd.
Winter Park, FL 32792
(800) 228-0891; (407) 677-8333
NEC Technologies
1255 Michael Dr.
Wood Dale, IL 60191-1094
800/632-4636, 708/860-9500
Panasonic Communications and Systems Co.
CD-ROM Sales
Two Panasonic Way
Secaucus, NJ 07094
800/742-8086, 201/348-7000
Pinnacle Micro
19 Technology
Irvine, CA 92718
800/553-7070, 714/727-3300
Pioneer Communications of America
600 E. Crescent Ave.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
800/527-3766, 310/952-2111.
PLI
47421 Bayside Pkwy.
Fremont, CA 94538
800/288-8754, 510/657-2211
Procom Technology
200 McCormick
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Sony Corp. of America
Computer Peripherals Products Co.
655 River Oaks Pkwy.
San Jose, CA 95134
800/352-7669, 408/432-0190
Texel America
1080C E. Duane Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
800/886-3935, 408/736-1378 (fax)
Todd Enterprises
224-49 67th Ave.
Bayside, NY 11364
800/445-8633, 718/343-9180 (fax)
Toshiba America Information Systems
Disk Products Division
9740 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, CA 92718
714/583-3000
The following European vendors' addresses are from the TFPL
CD-ROM Directory database, which I am told is a good
information source of CD hardware, software, companies and
literature.
Hitachi Sales Europa GmbH
Rungedamm 2
2050 Hamburg 80
Germany
+49 40 734 110, +49 40 734 0134 / +49 40 734 0188 (fax)
NEC (UK) Ltd
Computer Peripherals Dept
NEC House, 1 Victoria Road
London W3 6UL
United Kingdom
+44 81 993 8111, +44 81 993 6499 (fax)
NEC Deutschland Gmb
Klausenburger Strasse 4
8000 Munich 80
Germany
+49 89 93006 544, +49 89 937588 (fax)
Panasonic Industrial UK
Panasonic House
Willoughby Road, Bracknell
Berkshire RG12 8FP
United Kingdom
+44 344 853913, +44 344 853706 (fax)
Pioneer Electronic (Europe) N.V.
Headquarters Office
Keetberglaan 1
1087 Haven, 9120 Melsele
Belgium
+32 3 750 05 11, +32 3 775 28 18 (fax)
Sony Europa GmbH
Bleriot Strasse 1-3
5000 Cologne 30
Germany
+49 221 597850, +49 221 593542 (fax)
Sony Europa GmbH
Landsbergerstrasse 428
8000 Munich 60
Germany
+49 89 8291 6435, +49 89 8291 6439 (fax)
Toshiba Europa (I.E.) GmbH
Hammfelddamm 8
4040 Neuss 1
Germany
+49 2131 158370, +49 2131 158583 (fax)
:Q07 What are some good publications about networks, computing, and CD-ROM?
Some major periodical publications that include articles that
will be of interest to CD network managers include:
Byte LAN Times
CD-ROM Professional Online
ComputerWorld PC Magazine
InfoWorld PC World
INFORMATION NETWORKING NEWS is an electronic journal produced
by the UK's CD-ROM and Information Networking Group. It is
automatically sent by electronic mail to members of the
CD-ROM-NETWORK@JNT and CDROMLAN@IDBSU mailing lists, and can be
retrieved from the BUBL Bulletin Board. Gopher access: available
on the Radcliffe Science Library gopher, Oxford, UK. EITHER: telnet
to RSL.OX.AC.UK, login: gopher OR: point your gopher at:
Name=Oxford Radcliffe Science Library
Type=1
Port=70
Path=1/
Host=rsl.ox.ac.uk
INFORMATION NETWORKING NEWS can be found under the section
headed "Librarians' Corner".
The following books pertaining to networking have been
recommended by persons on the list:
Amon, Elenore M. Intelligent LAN management with
Novell NetWare. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ : Prentice-
Hall, 1991).
Derfler, Frank J. PC Magazine guide to connectivity.
(Berkeley, CA : Ziff-Davis Press, 1991).
Clarke, David James. Novell's CNA Study Guide.
(San Jose, CA : Novell Press, 1993).
(Novell Press/Sybex, ISBN 0-7821-1139-4, list $49.95)
Nance, Barry. Introduction to networking. (Carmel, IN:
Que, 1992).
Needleman, Raphael. InfoWorld : Understanding
networks. (New York : Brady Books, 1990).
Niedermiller-Chaffins, Debra R. Netware Training Guide,
Vol 1 and 2. (unknown : New Riders Publishing, 1993)
ISBN 1-56205-145-8 and 1-56205-305-1
(see Siyan, Karanjit for Vol 3 info)
Siyan, Karanjit. NetWare : the professional reference.
(Carmel, IN : New Riders Pub., 1992).
Siyan Karanjit. Netware Training Guide, Vol 3.
(unknown : New Riders Publishing, 1994)
ISBN 1-56205-285-3
(see Niedermiller-Chaffins, Debra R. for Vols 1 & 2 info)
Thanks to Dr. Philip Smith and to Tom Wilson, who contributed
information for this section.
I am very fond of the FAQ for the Usenet newsgroup comp.sys.novell.
To obtain a copy of this document, FTP to 129.65.43.132. Login as
anonymous. Located under csn.faq/* you will find FAQ.0, FAQ.1 and
FAQ.2. 0 is the every-other-week pointer to the FAQ and 1 & 2 are
parts one and two of the FAQ itself.
You also may want to check out the FAQ for alt.cdrom, which is
available for anonymous FTP from:
cdrom.com
The file is in the /pub subdirectory and is called FAQ.
:Q08 What other newsgroups and discussion lists deal with networking/CD-ROMs?
On Usenet, try:
alt.cd-rom
aus.cdrom (geared towards Australian users)
bit.listserv.pacs-l
comp.sys.dec
comp.sys.novell
On Bitnet, try the following discussion groups:
CDROM@BROWNVM NOVELL@SUVM
CDPLUS-L@UTORONTO PACS-L@UHUPVM1
GOVDOC-L@PSUVM1
European readers may also be interested in the discussion group
CDLAN (formerly CDMLIST@ZB.UB.UNI-DORTMUND.DE), which is composed
of about 100 subscribers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The primary language for this group is German. To join, send
the command SUBSCRIBE CDLAN in the body of the message to
MAISER@ZB.UB.UNI-DORTMUND.DE. Also at this address is the
INETBIB list for issues related to Internet use in libraries.
[Cribbed from a list message by Michael Schaarwaechter
(misc@zb.ub.uni-dortmund.de) - thanks Michael!]
CD-ROM-NETWORK@uk.ac.jnt is a British mailing list that discusses
CD-ROM networking matters. To join the list, mail to:
CD-ROM-NETWORK-REQUEST@uk.ac.jnt (remember, non-UK folks,
that's really @jnt.ac.uk).
On the alternative side, there is Gerald Smith's non-listserv list
which focuses on the use of CDROMs in the U.S. Federal Government
(particularly the Department of Defense). This list specializes
in Information Management, from document scanning, to burning your
own CDs, to placing them on a LAN. To register, send your name,
email address, location, organization and phone info to:
eisp-ug-request@gunter-emh.af.mil.
*:Q09 How can I connect Macintoshes to my CD-ROM LAN?
* Netware/SCSI Express
The following assumes that you have the Netware for Macintosh
package installed on your Novell server. You do not need to
install the Novell Macintosh client software in order to use
the CDs, since Netware communicates with the Macs using AppleTalk.
On the other hand, the Mac client does allow you to use encrypted
passwords, which is a Good Thing(tm) for security. If you do not
use encrypted passwords, you will need to add a line to your
autoexec.ncf file that reads "set allow unencrypted passwords=on".
Once you have Netware for Macintosh and SCSI Express installed,
the procedure to enable Macintosh access to the CDs is as follows:
1) unload afp.nlm
2) load cdutil
3) at "Name Spaces", press <insert> to add Mac namespace
4) make ????/???? type files invisible = NO
5) make file set
6) load afp.nlm
[Much thanks to Steve Kirby (kirby@rhett.libs.uga.edu) 11/94]
Superbridge, available from Sonic Systems (408-736-1900),
allows up to 5 devices to be daisy chained with standard
LocalTalk cabling to a host Macintosh that is connected to
an ethernet network. Password protection can be set on the
local talked devices so that only certain users are allowed
to access them.
[Thanks to Tony Spinillo (spinillo@marywood1.marywood.edu)
for this information.]
The DEC Infoserver and Virtual Microsystems CDworks will allow
Macintoshes, MS-DOS machines, and VAX terminals to search
CD-ROM drives. My knowledge of these products is a little
sketchy, so I'll rely on the information provided to me by
Dennis Brantley of Virtual Microsystems. Virtual's solution is
based on the Infoserver, so my assumption is that much of what
Dennis says about his company's solution also applies to the
Infoserver. If this is in error, blame me, not Dennis.
"Using CDworks, the same system can support PC access to DOS CD's,
Mac access to Mac CD's, and both PC and Mac access to SilverPlatter
applications. Virtual also provides Mac access to DOS CDs by
by using a Mac to connect to Virtual's CDaccess system, which in
turn connects to a CD-ROM server such as CDworks."
Logicraft offers two choices: the low-end 486-ware and the
higher-end Omniware. 486-ware offers up to 4 DOS sessions to
Macintosh and other non-DOS platforms (VT terminals). An Omniware
server offers one session to a Macintosh, VT terminal, or Unix
workstation. Omniware is capable of providing a GUI environment
to Unix and Mac workstaions. Logicraft offers various keyboard
maps for non-DOS platforms. Logicraft also provide a multi-user
Omniware with 4 486/33 or 486/66 processors in one box.
[Thanks to Steve Highcock (highcock@bms.com) for this info]
Other solutions do exist that allow Macintoshes to connect to
a Novell network. However, I'm not familiar enough with any
of them to offer much of a description. Contributions in this
area would be most welcome.
:Q10 Can I provide remote access to my CD network via a modem and/or TCP/IP?
On the simplest level, you may be able to add a few dial-up
lines using commercial remote communications (RCS) software
such as Norton PCAnywhere LAN, Central Point Commute, or
Carbon Copy Plus. All you need to implement such a solution
is one or more PCs, a license for the appropriate number of
the RCS package, a modem for each host PC, and a phone line
for each modem. If you are using NetWare, you'll need one
machine per phone line as you can't multiplex the regular
version of Novell's IPX.
Novell's Access Server uses versions of the PCAnywhere ATERM
program and Quarterdeck's DesqView (both licensed by Novell
from the appropriate vendors), along with a multiplexed
version of NetWare's IPX (not the regular IPX stack that is
included with NetWare) and a communcations board that allows
you to connect multiple modems to the same PC. Each IPX
session runs as a virtual machine under DesqView. You need to
supply the host PC and one or more modems. For more
information, contact:
Novell, Inc.
Communications Products Division
890 Ross Dr.
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
(800) 453-1267; (408) 747-4000
The ChatterBox series from J & L Information Systems uses a
multiple-CPU configuration. Each CPU is mounted on a separate
card, which is inserted into a custom tower case. Each card
in the ChatterBox has its own network adapter and modem. The
ChatterBox cards appear to the network as individual diskless
workstations. For more information, contact:
J & L Information Systems, Inc.
9238 Deering Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 709-1778
A complete review of solutions that support asynchronous
communication with Novell networks may be found in the
following article:
PC Magazine, 10 September 1991, "Dialing up the LAN",
pp. 177-227.
Novell NetWare will not allow users to connect directly
to the server via TCP/IP. It is, however, possible to telnet
to a computer that is connected to a Novell LAN and use that
machine to make use of CD databases on the network.
Everywhere Access is a specialized program which provides a
TELNET server for DOS machines. It supports the major
commercial tcp/ip software packages such as FTP, Beame &
Whiteside, etc., as well as the public domain packet driver
option. A very simple description of Everywhere Access
(EA) is that it allows any VT-100 compatible device to telnet
into a DOS machine and run character mode applications on that
machine. This includes dumb terminals, Macintoshes or any
microcomputer running a VT100 terminal emulator, and mainframe
or mini-computers with telnet services available. EA has
been specifically designed to minimize the system load of the
telnet server which normally leaves adequate memory and system
resources to run common CD-ROM applications.
The DOS version of EA is basically single user per machine.
So if you want to provide telnet access for 6 users you have
to have 6 DOS machines/CPUs available. A Windows multiuser
version is in beta testing, while an OS/2 version is under
development.
For more information about Everywhere Access contact:
Supro Network Software Inc.
P.O. Box 18
Warsaw, Ontario, Canada K0L 3A0
orders: (705) 652-1572
information: email to info@snsi.com
Thanks to George Beckett of the Health Sciences Library,
Memorial University of Newfoundland (georger@kean.ucs.mnu.ca),
who composed the section on Everywhere Access.
In addition to Everywhere Access, Proxy, from Funk SOFTWARE,
supports 8 simultaneous Windows/DOS sessions through telnet.
I know nothing else about it. Funk may be reached by phone
at (617) 497-6339.
Beame & Whiteside has released BW-NFS 3.0, which features the
usual telnet and NFS and other applications, along with a DOS
and Windows/DOS telnetd. You are buying the whole TCP kit.
Contact beame@bws.com for details. As with Proxy, I haven't
seen BW-NFS in operation, so I have no further information
about it.
[The sections on Proxy and BW-NFS were lifted from the FAQ
for comp.sys.novell.]
Virtual Microsystems' CDaccess can provide remote access to
VT type terminals, or anything that can emulate a VT. Connection
to CDaccess is via LAT (good for DEC users), Telnet, or direct
dial-in using modems. CDaccess is available in 386/33 or 486/50
configurations. In either case, a system consists of 4 independent
processors, each with a minimum of 4MB of RAM and a network
interface card. The NIC connects the user to a LAN where CDworks
or other networking systems resides.
:Q11 How can I connect my CD network to an IBM mainframe?
If you are using Novell Netware as your network operating
system, you may be able to use something like Novell's LAN
Workplace for DOS or the Clarkson University TCP/IP program to
communicate between your workstations and the mainframe.
(Assuming, of course, that your mainframe is able to
communicate via TCP/IP). This has the advantage of being
potentially the cheapest solution, but there are some
tradeoffs to consider. The drivers needed to support TCP/IP
communications do take some memory on each workstation. If
you're tight on memory as it is, you may want to consider
another solution.
A more standard approach is to set up a microcomputer to serve
as a gateway between your LAN and the mainframe. A number of
vendors sell products that will enable you to do this
relatively inexpensively. These vendors include:
Chi Corp. (LinkUP 3270)
31200 Carter St.
Solon, OH 44139
216-349-8600
Data Interface Systems, Inc. (DI3270)
PO Box 4189
Austin TX 78765
800-351-4244; 512-346-5641
ICOT Corp. (pcPATH SNA-3770)
PO Box 5143
San Jose, CA 95150
800-762-3270; 408-433-3300
Novell, Inc. (NetWare 3270)
122 East 1700 South
Provo, UT 84606
800-453-1267; 801-379-5900
:Q12 What do I need to set up a small (2-8 user), low cost CD network?
At a minimum you will need:
1) a machine to use as a file server (at least a 386DX-25)
2) some workstations (286 or better *highly* recommended)
3) network interface cards (NICs) for each workstation
(Eagle and Western Digital are popular brands)
4) enough cabling (most likely Ethernet) to connect all of
your workstations to the server
5) a SCSI host adapter (the Adaptec boards, such as the
1540, are popular)
6) one or more SCSI CD-ROM drives (you will connect the CD
drives to the server via the host adapter and to each
other via "daisy chain" cable)
7) a copy of a low-end network operating system (NOS) such
as Artisoft's LANtastic (make sure you get the 10 mbs
Ethernet version!) or Novell NetWare Lite.
This will probably be enough to get you going, but you need to
realize that if your network grows, much of this hardware and
software will need to be replaced. Some of it can be recycled
when you upgrade your network in a year or so, but some of it
will probably end up in the back room next to your Osborne.
A few pointers on the machine you select for a server. You
want the fastest machine with the most memory and most fixed
disc storage space you can possibly get. Assuming that you
are using a DOS-based LAN such as LANtastic, a fast 80386
machine (at least a 25mhz 386DX, and preferably a 386DX-33 or
386DX-40) with 2-4 megabytes of memory and a fixed disc of
100-200 megabytes capacity ought to be enough to get you going
on a small scale. Don't worry about the video display on the
server. A VGA board is overkill on this machine, since it
will be a dedicated server.
Realistically, your workstations should be at least 80286
machines. As with the server, the more power, the better.
Machines using the 80386 chip may allow you to load more
device drivers into upper memory. Most CD search apps require
around 500K of base memory in order to operate; some require
even more. Once you've loaded DOS, your network shell, the
Microsoft Extensions, and any other drivers you need, you may
find that you are getting close to the minimum needed to run
your CD search software. With a 386 or 486 machine, you can
use the EMM386.EXE program that comes with DOS 5.0/6.0 to load
some of these items into upper memory. That may turn out to
be the difference between a functioning CD network and a group
of dead machines connected via cable.
The best piece of advice anyone setting up a small network
such as this can receive is to plan ahead. Don't box yourself
in by assuming that just because your network operates fine
the day you bring it up, it will perform satisfactorily
forever. It won't. Someday you will outgrow this network.
Buy equipment with the assumption that it will have to
function (possibly in a different capacity) on a higher-
performance network using a high-end networking solution
(e.g., SCSI Express, Meridian, or CBIS). And whatever you do,
don't buy cheap network components. If you have to cut costs,
scale back on the size of your LAN.
*:Q13 What menu and usage tracking programs are available for my network?
There are a number of very fine menu programs available for
use with DOS and Novell networks. Some of the more widely-
known commercial packages include:
Automenu
Magee Enterprises
PO Box 1587
Norcross, GA 30091
(800) 662-4330
A shareware version of Automenu (ver. 4.7) is available for
anonymous FTP from:
athene.uni-paderborn.de Location: /pcsoft/msdos/menu
boombox.micro.umn.edu Location: /pub/netware
cs.ubc.ca Location: /mirror4/msdos/menu
isfs.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp Location: /MSDOS/simtel20-archive/menu
nic.switch.ch Location: /mirror/msdos/menu
oak.oakland.edu Location: /pub/msdos/menu
omnigate.clarkson.edu Location: /pub/simtel20-cdrom/msdos/menu
risc.ua.edu Location: /pub/network/misc/menus
terra.stack.urc.tue.nl Location: /pub/simtel/menu
In all cases, the file name is auto47.zip. The same version is
available on America Online, and perhaps other commercial online
services such as CompuServe.
Direct Access Network
Fifth Generation Systems, Inc.
10049 N. Reiger Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
(800) 873-4384; (504) 291-7221
* CD-Manager/5
H+H Zentrum fuer Rechnerkommunikation GmbH
Herzberger Landstr. 48
3400 Goettingen, Germany
Tel.: ++49-551-52208-0
Fax.: ++49-551-486859
Internet: 100115.2400@compuserve.com
CD-Manager/5 is a menu and management system specifially
preconfigured for Logicraft LanCD/FastCD, Meridian Data CDNET,
SCSI-Express, and remote terminal access via LogiCraft Omniware,
but runs with Optinet and CD-Connection as well.
DOS and Windows versions are available, and both versions can be
used in "mixed" mode, accessing the same licence and protocol files.
CD-Manager/5 is not available in the US so far, but does have an
installed base of over 300 sites in Europe. It provides displays in
German, French, and English and allows the user to switch between
these three languages.
[Many thanks to Christian Heinisch (100115.2400@compuserve.com)
for this information.]
Saber Menu
Saber Software Corp.
PO Box 9088 -or- 5944 Luther Lane
Dallas, TX 75209 Dallas, TX 75225
Internet: sysop@sabersoft.com
tech.support@sabersoft.com
(800) 338-8754; (214) 361-8086; (214) 361-1882 fax
So far as usage tracking/software metering is concerned, this
is a built-in feature on Direct Access Network. Saber
Software sells a package called Saber Meter, which
has the decided advantage of using no memory on workstations.
You might also want to check out:
AppMeter
Funk Software, Inc.
222 Third Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
(800) 828-4146, (617) 497-6339
LabLauncher
LabLauncher is a metering program for the Macintosh. It
may be obtained by following these steps:
1) ftp to NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU (128.227.212.10)
2) cd leow.192 (you won't see leow.192, but cd to it anyway,
it's there)
3) dir or ls to see list of files. Details and disclaimer
about the utilities are in the ASCII text file,
"about.files"; the utilities themselves will have to be
unBinHexed and unCompacted.
4) enter the "get" command for the utility you want.
SiteLock (AKA SiteMeter?)
Brightwork Development, Inc.
766 Shrewsbury Ave.
Jerral Center West
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
(800) 552-9876; (201) 530-0440
SiteLock loads as a TSR on the workstations. If you're tight
on memory, it may not be a suitable solution.
There is also SofTrack from ON Technology that I do not
yet have any additional information on. . .
:Q14 What timeout programs are available for my network?
There have been many requests on the list for this type
of information recently, thus a new question (and answer!)
is born. Many programs provide for automatic exiting
after certain conditions are met (usually based upon lack
of keystrokes for a specified period of time, but sometimes
absence of screen input or other interesting characteristic).
Unfortunately, this is frequently not the case - once in a
program, the workstation is stuck there (unless we get
lucky and the user backs out to the menu - HAH!), using up
a license and ready to confuse the next patron. Timeout
programs to the rescue!
IDLEBOOT - a shareware program that will reboot (warm-
or cold- I know not at present) a PC after a specific
time of inactivity (keyboard, I believe). Price is from
$30 to $300 depending upon network size. Can be found on
many anonymous FTP sites.
Shepard - a !FREEWARE! program which will log a user out
of an application after about 3 minutes of inactivity
(again, keyboard, I believe). It was written by fellow
Alaskan Tony Taylor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
and is _very_ useful with both Saber and Direct Access menus.
This one is a little harder to find. The primary source is
charon.elmer.alaska.edu in /pub/shepard/shep2.zip.
An excellent alternative is uwovax.uwo.ca/pub/libsoft/shep2.zip.
[Cribbed from a list message by David Roy (daroy@ac.dal.ca)
Thanks, David! Of course, I got some scoop directly from
Tony himself - thanks for the program.]
*:Q15 Who are some CD-ROM database producers and how can I contact them?
To begin with, there are four very large directories of
CD-ROM databases:
The CD-ROM directory (TFPL, semi-annual, in print and on CD-ROM)
CD-ROM Finder (Learned Information, annual)
CD-ROMs in Print (Meckler, annual, in print and on CD-ROM)
Gale Directory of Databases, Vol 2 (Gale, semi-annual;
Vol 1 covers online databases)
Each covers thousands of titles with different amounts of detail.
[Cribbed from a list message by Ka-Neng Au
(au@pisces.rutgers.edu or au@zodiak.bitnet) - THANKS!]
R.R. Bowker
121 Chanlon Rd.
New Providence, NJ 07974
(800) 521-8110
CD PLUS
333 Seventh Ave.
New York, New York 10001
Internet: cdplus@cdplus.com (general information)
support@cdplus.com (technical support)
suggest@cdplus.com (suggestion box)
(212) 563-3006; (800) 950-2035
Amsterdam office: cdplus@cdplus.nl +31 20-672-0242
Compact Cambridge
7200 Wisconsin Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 961-6737
Dialog Information Services, Inc.
3460 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(415) 858-3785; (800) 334-2564
* EBSCO Publishing
83 Pine St.
Peabody, MA 01960
800/653-2726; 508-535-8545
ep@ebsco.com
Gale Research Inc.
835 Penobscot Building
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-2242
Newsbank/Readex
58 Pine Street
New Canaan, CT 06840
(203) 966-1100; (800) 243-7694
SilverPlatter Information Inc.
100 River Ridge Dr.
Norwood, MA 02062
(617) 769-2599
Internet: info@silverplatter.com
support@silverplatter.com
University Microfilms International (UMI)
300 North Zeeb Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48106
(313) 761-4700, (800) 521-0600
H.W. Wilson Company
950 University Ave.
Bronx, NY 10452
(718) 588-8400, (800) 367-6770
WLN
PO Box 3888
Lacey, WA 98503-0888
(206) 923-4000; (800) 342-5956
:Q16 Are there any FTP sites that contain materials related to networking?
I've swiped (and edited) the following list from Kevin Wang's FAQ
for comp.sys.novell:
ftp.novell.com 137.65.4.1
netlab2.usu.edu 129.123.1.44
risc.ua.edu 130.160.4.7
ftp.salford.ac.uk 146.87.0.201
ftp.rug.nl 129.125.4.15
tu1.lincoln.ac.nz 138.75.10.31
inf.nw.nrc.ca 132.246.160.4
omnigate.clarkson.edu 128.153.4.2
splicer2.cba.hawaii.edu 128.171.17.2
syr.edu 128.230.1.49
garbo.uwasa.fi 128.214.87.1
rigel.acs.oakland.edu 141.210.10.117
wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4
ftp.uu.net 137.39.1.9
nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100
archie.au 139.130.4.6
If you don't have an FTP connection, you might could use the
BITFTP-FTP/Email gateway. For more information, send an e-mail
message containing HELP as the BODY (not a subject) to
BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET.
:Q17 Do I have to run the Microsoft Extensions in order to network my CDs?
This depends on the CD networking solution you are using. In
most cases, the answer is "Yes". Nearly all existing DOS and
NetWare solutions require the MS Extensions to be loaded
somewhere, whether on a server (as is the case with CBIS) or
on each workstation (as is the case with some other
solutions). The key exception is SCSI Express.
:Q18 Where can I get a copy of the latest version of the MS Extensions?
The current version of the Microsoft Extensions is 2.22.
It, along with several other neat utilities, is included
with DOS 6.0. If you haven't done so already, DOS 6.0 is
well worth the upgrade cost. That's one way to get the
new extensions.
In the past, the Extensions have been available for anonymous
FTP from:
cdrom.com (192.153.46.254)
The path to the file is: /pub/cdext.exe
This is a self-extracting archive file. This file is also
available in the PC World Online General Utilities library on
America Online.
I haven't taken the time to verify that these sites are
supplying the latest 'n' greatest version of the extensions.
But whatever they're supplying will probably work with any
version of DOS just fine.
:Q19 Are there advantages to using Ethernet over Token Ring, or vice versa?
This is probably a "hot button" question, but it crops up from
time to time. Both Ethernet and Token Ring have their unique
advantages and disadvantages. Token Ring, especially in its
16 mps version, probably is a bit faster than 10 mps Ethernet.
On the other hand, Ethernet is a good bit cheaper to install.
In most cases, though, the best thing probably is to follow
whatever is a standard for your site. If most of your site is
wired with Ethernet, it's probably advisable for you to use
Ethernet. If most of the networks at your site use Token
Ring, then Token Ring is probably your best solution. It is
possible to communicate between the two protocols, but you
introduce another layer of complexity when you do so and you
may pay a performance penalty in the process. In any event,
both Ethernet and Token Ring have large installed bases and
either of them will provide acceptable performance if properly
configured.
:Q20 Can I connect a multidisc changer (like the Pioneer DRM-600) to my LAN?
Yes, you can, but you more than likely do not want to.
Multidisc changers typically contain only a single CD-ROM
drive. They operate by moving discs in and out of that drive
as needed. This is fairly slow, mechanical process that
cannot be compensated for with caching, fast servers, or fast
workstations. If two or more users try to use different CDs
located in the changer simultaneously, the response time
cannot help but be very poor. Multidisc changers work well on
standalone machines, but they really are not suitable for use
as network devices in most cases. If you absolutely *must*
connect a disc changer to your LAN, at least one solution--
Micro Design's SCSI Express--will support them. Other
solutions may support these devices as well. It is probably
best to contact the vendor who sold you your CD networking
solution for details.
:Q21 How can I improve the performance of my CD network?
Well, that depends a lot on the type of network you have in
place. Some obvious suggestions are to get a faster file
server, to upgrade your workstations to a faster CPU, and/or
to invest in faster CD-ROM drives. If you're using a DOS-
based LAN, such as LANtastic, you might want to consider
migrating to another networking solution (e.g., SCSI Express,
Meridian, etc.) None of these enhancements will be cheap, but
in networking you usually get about what you pay for.
If you are using SCSI Express, CorelDriver, or another NLM
solution, you may want to invest in more memory for your file
server. This will allow you to allocate a larger cache for
your CD applications, which should improve your server's
performance.
Better use of caching will in fact be of use to many CD
networks. A good caching program (such as the SMARTDRV.SYS
that comes with DOS 5.0 or, even better, the SMARTDRV.EXE that
comes with DOS 6.0) can improve search performance.
SMARTDRV.SYS takes up just 13K of system memory. If you can
spare that much on your workstations, it's probably a
worthwhile use of resources. We use SMARTDRV.EXE on our
workstations. It seems to speed up our search applications,
although it does not cache the CD-ROMs themselves.
If your networking solution requires you to load the Microsoft
Extensions on your workstations, you might want to consider
increasing the number of buffers allocated by the extensions
to caching the CD drive. This is controlled with the /M
switch. The default is 10 buffers. You can increase this by
appending a larger value to the switch (e.g., /M:15). Each
buffer takes up 2K of memory, but you may be able to move the
buffers into expanded memory by using the /E switch.
One final performance boost that the beginning network manager
might overlook: make sure your search software is not running
off of the CD-ROM drive. The fastest CD drives are still
nearly three times as slow as an ancient Seagate ST-225 fixed
disc with its paltry 85 millisecond seek rate. If at all
possible, run the CD search software off of your file server's
fixed disc. That's what it's there for.
:Q22 Do I need anti-virus software on my CD network?
Definitely. No matter how careful you are and how bulletproof
you try to make your network, the sorry truth of the matter is
that viruses are a fact of network life. There are a number of
commercial anti-virus programs on the market. They are
available in most places where software is sold. And, of
course, DOS 6.0 does include an antivirus program (VSAFE) that
you can load on your workstations (if you have 22K of RAM to
spare), plus a version of the Central Point Anti-Virus program
that Microsoft distributes under license.
A number of leading organizations in the computer security
field (including the National Computer Security Association,
the VSUM Virus Library, and the Hamburg Virus Test Center)
tested a group of anti-virus programs (including shareware
and commercial anti-viral packages) against a pool of over
1400 known viruses and strains. The best performer was the
McAfee suite of anti-viral programs, which detected an
amazing 97 percent of all potential infections. (By
comparison, two well-known commercial anti-virus packages
were successful roughly 70 percent of the time.)
The McAfee programs are shareware and are available
from a great many FTP sites, bulletin boards, and commercial
online services. Best thing to do may be to connect to your
favorite online source and look for the following files:
CLEAN10x.ZIP SCANV10x.ZIP
NETSC10x.ZIP VSHLD10x.ZIP
The x will indicate the version number for each file.
The Macintosh equivalent of the McAfee programs is Disinfectant,
which is available for FTP from a number of sites.
:Q23 What solutions are available to provide network printer support?
Well, that depends on what network operating system you're using.
All I can do is comment on solutions that work with Novell NetWare.
Novell provides several utilities that, in theory, will enable you
to connect printers to your LAN. The three principal programs are
PSERVER.EXE, RPRINTER.EXE, and PSERVER.NLM.
You use PSERVER.NLM to establish a network print server to service
the print queue(s) you set up via PCONSOLE. PSERVER.EXE requires
you to dedicate one or more workstations to service printers/queues.
It's performance, while far from stellar, is at least better than
RPRINTER (which admittedly isn't saying much).
RPRINTER, which allows you to operate printers that are connected to
one or more workstations in a non-dedicated mode (i.e., the
workstations can be used--in theory--for other things), is
notoriously unreliable and pitifully slow. It also fails to handle
graphic images acceptably, which may be a problem depending upon
your particular setup.
Generally speaking, Novell's network print services have one thing
to recommend them: you get them for no extra charge when you buy your
copy of NetWare. Fortunately, there are some third-party network
print servers that perform much better than the utilities that are
bundled with NetWare.
We've had satisfactory experience (so far) with the Intel NetPort
print server. Others have spoken highly of the Hewlett-Packard
JetDirect cards. (Contact your HP dealer for details: I ain't got
'em). You might also want to check out a product from Digital
Products, Inc. (800-243-2333, contact Deborah Reicheld). This
product contains a high-speed parallel port and both RG-58/10BaseT
connectors. Cost is under $500.
:Q24 Where can I get training in network management techniques?
The answer to this question really depends on the network operating
system you are using. I can answer the question for Novell Netware,
but I'll have to rely on someone else to provide a comparable
answer for other NOSs.
Novell offers a number of options for training in the management of
a Netware LAN. By far the cheapest is to buy a copy of the CNA
Study Guide that is mentioned elsewhere in this document. According
to the book, the CNA Study Guide covers all of the objectives for
Novell's Certified Netware Administrator (CNA) credential. That
doesn't guarantee that you'll become an instant celebrity among
the other net managers at your site, but it is a start.
Novell also provides training through Novell Authorized
Education Centers (NAECs). NAECs are not directly affiliated with
Novell, but are designated by Novell to provide instructor-led
training in the management of Netware LANs. You can obtain a
list of NAECs in your area by calling 1-800-233-3382 (in the US
and Canada) or 1-801-429-5508 (in all other areas). You also may
obtain information on CNA certification by calling these numbers.
It may be possible for you to obtain Netware management training
through a local college or university. Novell does sponsor a
program called Novell Education Academic Partner (NEAP), which
provides training comparable to that provided by the NAECs, but
in a traditional education format. Currently, a limited number of
institutions have chosen to participate in the NEAP program. If
your site is fortunate enough to have a Certified Netware Instructor
(CNI) on staff, s/he may also provide Netware education as part of
your institution's staff training program.
If you're interested to see how you might do on the CNA examination,
but don't want to spend the money for the CNA Study Guide, you might
want to obtain a copy of CNA10.EXE, which contains sample questions
from the CNA test itself. This file is available from ftp.novell.com
and its various mirror sites (e.g., risc.ua.edu) in the directory:
/pub/netwire/novlib/02
:Q25 Is this the end of the FAQ?
Yup, Bubba, you're done. Time to call in the dogs and spit on
the fire.